Thursday, January 10, 2013

Sickness Sleeping

English: sleeping Japanese macaques in Kanba f...
English: sleeping Japanese macaques in Kanba falls
 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
         No, I didn't reverse the words in my title.  I meant exactly what I wrote:  Sickness Sleeping--those long expanses of sleep time during which may dream and dream some more.  Sometimes when fever accompanies ones sleep while ill this is referred to as fever dreams.

          Last week, when I was quite ill and spent much time in bed, I would sleep for hours throughout the day and during the night.  As I slept, I dreamed seemingly long dreams that would continue even after awakening and then returning to sleep.

           Now I don't recall what any of those dreams were, only that I had dreamed them.  I wanted to write them down, but in the dull ache of illness I had no desire to be writing dreams.  My brief sorties to the computer were spent checking emails.   I did compose my brief blog notices why I didn't feel like posting anything, but I was in no mood to be recording dreams in any way.

           I can recall having dreams during sick times when I was a child and later in life as well.  Dreams would be expected during these times since so much sleep can be involved with being sick.   Often it seems that the dreams during sickness are stranger and more vivid.  Perhaps this is partially due to the fact that being bedridden we are confronted with less realistic events during the waking hours--less for our mind to interpret or sort out.  Our waking hours may consist of more television watching, reading, or just suffering through our discomforts.  In these times of sickness the dream times are almost as equally real and important as our waking times.

          Have you experienced more vivid and prolonged dream sessions when bedridden with illness?  What types of sickness dreams do you tend to experience?   



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6 comments:

  1. Hope you're feeling better, I find if I have worries or stress I have vivid dreams which I do remember which in turn makes me feel worse.


    There are 2 pictures of me on your followers as due to a security problem had to change my blog, I wrote by email to Alex. My new blog address is:yvonnelewis68.blogspot.com
    Once again I hope you are feeling better.
    Yvonne.

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  2. I'm sure i have experienced those dreams but the weirdest ones take place usually when I nap, which is one of the reasons why I hate to take naps. I don't wake up refreshed, I usually wake up from terrors, confused and with a headache. I'd had a terrible panic attack on Monday and took some Xanax which knocked me out and I kept dreaming that someone was wrapping me in a heavy curtain of black velvet and I couldn't breathe or get out. I'd force myself to wake up but the drug put me right out again, into that same dream. And the last time I had anything with codeine in it - 2002 - I had 3 extremely real and scary dreams or hallucinations. Needless to say I won't touch codeine again.

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  3. You know, I've had some really crazy dreams, but being sick is something I've never been. Weird.

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  4. Yvonne-- I feel so much better now. Actually I can't say my sickness dreams make me feel better or worse. They probably just make me sleep more.

    JoJo-- That claustrophobic dream sounds terrifying--those are the worst kinds of dreams I've had. Usually my naps are brief with inconsequential dreaming, but sometimes I've had experiences similar to yours. My greatest wakening times of confusion have probably been from naps. I can't recall any experiences from using codeine.

    Hannah -- Are you saying you've never been sick? Or never dreamed of being sick or dreamed while in sickness? If you've never been sick that is incredibly wonderful and I'd like to know your secret.

    Lee

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  5. Hey Lee, glad you're feeling better. I find that any dreams I have in the afternoon, during a nap, or during a sickness are always strange and very vivid. I've also had dreams where I feel as if I'm being suffocated by some unseen force...thankfully not very often! Those are terrifying!

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  6. Eve-- Glad my dreams don't usually turn to terrifying, but I do enjoy weird.

    Lee

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